Is Alba Botanica Moisturizing Sunscreen Lip Balm SPF 25 Reef Safe?
Not everywhere. Allowed in 4 of 9 places we track. See why
- Allowed: Hawaii
- Not allowed: Maui County
- Not allowed: Hawaiʻi County
- Not allowed: U.S. Virgin Islands
- Not allowed: Palau
- Allowed: Aruba
- Not allowed: Guam
- Allowed: Northern Mariana Islands
- Allowed: Thailand
Alba Botanica Moisturizing Sunscreen Lip Balm SPF 25 is allowed under the sunscreen laws of Hawaii statewide, Aruba, the Northern Mariana Islands and Thailand's national parks, but not in Maui County, Hawaiʻi County (Big Island), the U.S. Virgin Islands, Palau and Guam. It combines chemical and mineral UV filters: octisalate 5%, octocrylene 10% and zinc oxide 10%. It is a broad-spectrum lip balm made by Alba Botanica (The Hain Celestial Group, Inc.).
SPF 25 is below SPF 30, the minimum the American Academy of Dermatology recommends when choosing a sunscreen.
Where Alba Botanica Moisturizing Sunscreen Lip Balm SPF 25 is allowed
| Location | Verdict | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Maui County (Maui, Molokaʻi, Lānaʻi) | Not allowed | Octisalate and octocrylene: not permitted actives (mineral only). |
| Hawaiʻi County (Big Island) | Not allowed | Octisalate and octocrylene: not permitted actives (mineral only). |
| U.S. Virgin Islands | Not allowed | Octocrylene: banned by name. |
| Palau | Not allowed | Octocrylene and octisalate: banned by name. |
| Guam | Not allowed | Octocrylene: banned by name. |
| Hawaii (statewide) | Allowed | No restricted ingredients found. |
| Aruba | Allowed | No restricted ingredients found. |
| Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) | Allowed | No restricted ingredients found. |
| Thailand (all national parks) | Allowed | No restricted ingredients found. |
Guidance and repealed rules (4)
| Mexico: federal marine protected areas (e.g., Isla Mujeres, Punta Cancún & Punta Nizuc) | Against guidance | Octisalate and octocrylene: not mineral actives. |
| Bonaire (Bonaire National Marine Park) | Meets guidance | |
| U.S. National Parks with coral reefs (NPS guidance) | Against guidance | Octisalate and octocrylene: not mineral actives. |
| Key West, Florida | No rule in force |
Alba Botanica Moisturizing Sunscreen Lip Balm SPF 25 active ingredients
| Ingredient | Amount | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Octyl Salicylate (Octisalate) | 5% | Chemical |
| Octocrylene | 10% | Chemical |
| Zinc Oxide | 10% | Mineral |
Alba Botanica Moisturizing Sunscreen Lip Balm SPF 25 inactive ingredients
Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil, Euphorbia Cerifera (Candelilla) Wax, Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Seed Butter, Jojoba Esters, Jojoba Esters/Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Wax/Acacia Decurrens Flower Wax/Polyglycerin-3, Flavor, Glycerin, Copernicia Cerifera (Carnauba) Wax, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract, Echinacea Angustifolia Leaf Extract, Hydrastis Canadensis (Goldenseal) Root Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract, Symphytum Officinale Leaf Extract, Tocopherol
Highlighted ingredients are regulated somewhere; red ones are restricted in at least one location we track. Dotted ones are listed below.
Fragrance allergens, essential oils and alcohol
None of the 80 fragrance allergens on the EU list appear on this label, and it lists no fragrance, essential oil or drying alcohol.
The EU requires these allergens to be named on cosmetic labels above 0.001% in leave-on products (Regulation 1223/2009, Annex III). They can cause skin reactions in people who are sensitized; they don’t affect whether a sunscreen is legal anywhere we track.
Note: Brand page lists "Octyl Salicylate" (INCI for octisalate). Water resistance not stated. "(1)" certified-organic markers removed. Sizes are not listed on the brand product page.
Common questions about Alba Botanica Moisturizing Sunscreen Lip Balm SPF 25
Is Alba Botanica Moisturizing Sunscreen Lip Balm SPF 25 reef safe?
“Reef safe” isn’t a regulated label claim, so we answer by law instead. It is allowed under the sunscreen laws of Hawaii statewide, Aruba, the Northern Mariana Islands and Thailand's national parks, but not in Maui County, Hawaiʻi County (Big Island), the U.S. Virgin Islands, Palau and Guam. Labels like “Hawaii Act 104 compliant” only mean a product has no oxybenzone or octinoxate; they don’t make a chemical sunscreen legal on Maui or the Big Island.
Is Alba Botanica Moisturizing Sunscreen Lip Balm SPF 25 legal in Hawaii?
Under Hawaii’s statewide law (Act 104, which bans oxybenzone and octinoxate) it is allowed. In Maui County (Maui, Molokaʻi, Lānaʻi), which allows only mineral sunscreens, it is not allowed because it contains octisalate and octocrylene, and Maui’s rule covers using it there, not just selling it. In Hawaiʻi County (the Big Island), which has a mineral-only rule for sales, it is not allowed. Oʻahu and Kauaʻi have no county rule, so only the statewide law applies there.
Where is Alba Botanica Moisturizing Sunscreen Lip Balm SPF 25 not allowed?
Maui County: it contains octisalate and octocrylene, which are not allowed there. Hawaiʻi County (Big Island): it contains octisalate and octocrylene, which are not allowed there. The U.S. Virgin Islands: it contains octocrylene, which is not allowed there. Palau: it contains octocrylene and octisalate, which are not allowed there. Guam: it contains octocrylene, which is not allowed there.
Does Alba Botanica Moisturizing Sunscreen Lip Balm SPF 25 contain oxybenzone?
No. It contains neither oxybenzone nor octinoxate, the two chemicals banned under Hawaii’s statewide law.
Is Alba Botanica Moisturizing Sunscreen Lip Balm SPF 25 a mineral or chemical sunscreen?
Both. It combines mineral (zinc oxide 10%) and chemical (octisalate 5% and octocrylene 10%) UV filters, so it does not meet mineral-only rules.
Is the zinc oxide in Alba Botanica Moisturizing Sunscreen Lip Balm SPF 25 non-nano?
Its Drug Facts ingredient list doesn’t state particle size, and US labels aren’t required to. Many brands make non-nano claims elsewhere on the pack or website. No sunscreen law we track regulates nano particles.
What is the UPC for Alba Botanica Moisturizing Sunscreen Lip Balm SPF 25?
The UPC barcode is 724742003944. Different sizes and scents carry different barcodes.
Alternatives to Alba Botanica Moisturizing Sunscreen Lip Balm SPF 25 for Maui County, Hawaiʻi County (Big Island), the U.S. Virgin Islands, Palau and Guam
Mineral sunscreens from other brands, allowed in all 5 places, ranked by label: water resistance, SPF 30–50, broad spectrum, no listed fragrance. How we rank
